If you have been following the site, you may have seen that I post the availablity of Apple devices when new devices are announced. I will do so for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air . This is the first posting and the data is from about 3 1/2 hours after pre-orders began. Keep in mind that this information is for delivery of devices, not necessarily pickup options at your local Apple Store, or even carrier stores.
This year, for the carriers there will only be two covered, AT&T and T-Mobile. This is because it is relatively simple to get the delivery information from these sites. Verizon has significantly changed their site and pulling delivery information from their site is not straightforward.
Highlights
All iPhone 17 Pro Max models from Apple have a delivery range between September 24th to October 13th, depending on model.
For AT&T, the 512GB iPhone 17 has a delivery date of October 3rd, except for the Black model.
The White Cloud iPhone Air has slipped to Sep 24 – Sep 29.
Today, Apple streamed their "Awe Dropping" event, which, as expected, covered a number of products. These products include the AirPods Pro, Apple Watch, and iPhone. This article will cover the last of these, the iPhone.
Common Features
Today, Apple introduced four new iPhone models: the iPhone 17, the iPhone 17 Pro, the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the iPhone Air. While each of these has its own set of features, there are some common features amongst all of the models, so let us look at those, starting with the Center Stage Camera.
Center Stage Camera
Each of the iPhone models introduced today has new cameras. While rear cameras differ between the models, they all have a new 18 MP Center Stage Camera.
The 18MP Center Stage camera has a bunch of new features. Besides the increase in the number of megapixels, up to 18 from 12, the Center Stage Camera system, as the name suggests, has Center Stage built in. From Apple's press release:
The Center Stage front camera features the first square front camera sensor on iPhone, offering a wider field of view and higher resolution — up to 18MP for photos — to capture more detail.
One of the additional benefits is that the Center Stage camera system can now take both landscape and portrait selfies, all without needing to rotate the phone. The Center Stage camera will allow you to quickly change the size of the selfie, simply by tapping on the iPhone screen.
This does not work with just photos, it will also work with videos as well. Therefore, if you are on a FaceTime call and additional people come into view, the camera can automatically adjust the field of view so everyone can be in frame.
Dual Capture
A second feature of all of the iPhone 17 models, and the iPhone Air, is called "Dual Capture". Dual Capture will allow you to record using both the front and back cameras. When you do this, you will be able to show your reaction all while filming the action. Additionally, during FaceTime calls, or third-party apps, Center Stage for video calls keeps users stable and positioned in frame.
Starting Storage
One other change this year is that the starting amount of storage in all of the iPhones is 256GB. This is up from 128GB in last year’s models, except for the iPhone Pro Max, which started at 256GB last year.
N1 Processor
The iPhone models introduced today all have a new network chip that is entirely designed by Apple, called the N1 chip. The N1 combines Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread support in a single chip. The N1 supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread networking. Apple’s states that the N1 is more power efficient, which adds to overall battery life for all devices.
That is all the common features for the iPhones introduced today. Let us look at each of the models, starting with the iPhone 17.
iPhone 17
The iPhone 17 is the newest in the iPhone lineup, and it takes the iPhone 16 and adds even more. Some of the biggest changes are in the processor, the screen, the rear cameras, and battery life. Let us start with the processor, the A19.
A19
The processor that allows the iPhone 17 to run is the A19. The A19 is an improvement over the A18 in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. The A19 is a 3-nanometer processor that has 6 cores, 2 performance cores, and 4 efficiency cores. According to Apple, the A19 is 1.5x faster than the A15 Bionic in the iPhone 13.
The A19 also has a 5-core GPU, which Apple states is 2x faster than the A15 Bionic in the iPhone 13. One of the other changes with the GPU is that each GPU processor has its own Neural Engine accelerator. This should improve neural engine tasks and processing.
Physical Size and Screen
The iPhone 17 has a slightly larger size; it is 2mm taller at 149.6mm, up from 147.6mm, but it is slightly narrower, down to 71.5mm from 71.6mm with the iPhone 16. This change in physical size has allowed the screen to increase from a 6.1-inch screen to a 6.3-inch screen. The physical size of the screen is not the only change.
The screen is now a 120Hz ProMotion display, just like on the iPhone Pro models. This is the first non-Pro iPhone to get this feature. The 120Hz ProMotion display is adaptive in terms of its refresh rate. It can go as low as 1Hz, up to 120Hz, depending on need.
The iPhone 17 also has an Always-On display. Just like the previous iPhone Pro models, the iPhone 17 display will be always on, but in a dimmed state, should you choose to keep it enabled.
Rear Cameras
The iPhone 17’s rear cameras are a big upgrade, with a 48MP dual fusion camera system. The main camera on the iPhone 17 is a 48MP sensor, the same as the iPhone 16. However, the Ultra Wide camera is vastly improved. The Ultra Wide camera is now a 48 megapixel sensor, up from 12 megapixels. From Apple’s iPhone 17 press release:
A new 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide camera captures up to 4x the resolution compared to the previous generation, so users get even more detail for uniquely framed, wider-angle shots or macro photography.
The optical zoom options remain the same as the iPhone 16, at 0.5x, 1x, and 2x. But, with the 48 Megapixel ultra wide, the detail should improve.
Battery
The iPhone 17 has improved battery life, up to 30 hours of video playback, up from 22 hours on the iPhone 16. You can charge via USB-C, at USB 2 speeds, or via MagSafe. You now get 25 Watt charging with MagSafe, an improvement over the 22 Watts on the iPhone 16.
Colors, Pricing, and Availability
The iPhone 17 comes in five colors. These are: Lavender, Sage, Mist Blue, White, and Black. There are two storage sizes to choose from, 256GB or 512GB. The 256GB model is $799 and the 512GB is $999.
You can begin pre-ordering the iPhone 17 on Friday, September 12th at 5am Pacific time and they will be available starting on September 19th. Let us now look at the iPhone Air.
iPhone Air
The iPhone Air is a brand-new model of iPhone. It is not the iPhone 17 Air, just the iPhone Air. The iPhone Air is the thinnest iPhone available at just 5.64mm, or 0.22 inches deep. The actual dimensions of the iPhone Air are 6.15 inches (156.2mm) tall, 2.94 inches (74.7mm) wide, and it weighs just 5.82 ounces.
A19 Pro and C1X
The iPhone Air is powered by the A19 Pro. The A19 Pro in the iPhone Air consists of a 6-core CPU with 2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores. There is also a 5-core GPU.
With the release of the iPhone 16e, Apple introduced the C1, Apple’s first custom-designed cellular modem. The iPhone Air has the C1X. The C1X improves the efficiency by using up to 30% less power than the C1, which will improve overall battery life.
Screen
Much like the iPhone 17, the iPhone Air has an Always-On ProMotion Display and can run at 120Hz. The physical size of the screen is 6.5 inches, so a bit larger than the iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Pro, but still smaller than the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Design and Battery
The iPhone Air is designed to be as light as possible, but still rigid. One of the ways to accomplish this is to use titanium, which is what Apple has done. The iPhone Air has a titanium frame. The back of the iPhone Air is composed of Ceramic Shield, to help protect it against scratches.
The iPhone Air is designed to have as much battery as possible. This means that a vast majority of the components of the iPhone Air are in the camera plateau. Below is a photo of the internals of the iPhone Air.
As you can see, a lot of the components are in the camera plateau, leaving the remainder of the area available for the battery. According to Apple, the battery life of the iPhone Air is up to 27 hours of video playback, which is less than the 30 hours on the iPhone 17, but more than the 22 hours on the iPhone 16.
Rear Cameras
Given the small space for the components, some tradeoffs need to be made. One area where a tradeoff was made was with the cameras. There is only a single lens on the iPhone Air. It is a 48-megapixel camera, so it is a high resolution like the iPhone 17 models. It is capable of taking 24MP and 48MP photos.
The telephoto portion of the rear camera is a 12MP sensor with a 52mm focal length, so you can still take zoomed-in photos as well as 4K photos.
The iPhone Air has two optical camera options, 1x or 2x. Given the single camera on the iPhone Air, there is no macro photography on the device.
Accessories
With the thin design of the iPhone Air, there are some accessories to go with it. Two of the options available are cases. The first case is a thin case that comes in two colors, Frost and Shadow. These are ultra-thin cases that add a bit more protection to the iPhone Air.
The second case option is one that has not been seen since 2011: a bumper case. The bumper case will add a bit more protection around the edge of the iPhone Air but leave the ceramic shield back exposed.
There is another accessory: a MagSafe battery. Just like previous MagSafe batteries, it will allow you to charge your iPhone Air while on the go and provide additional power for your iPhone Air.
Colors, Pricing, and Availability
The iPhone Air is available in four color options: Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, and Sky Blue. There are three storage options: 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. The 256GB model is $999, the 512GB model is $1199, and the 1TB model is $1399. You can begin pre-ordering the iPhone Air on Friday, September 12th at 5am pacific time, and they will be available starting on September 19th.
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max
The last iPhone models introduced today are the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The "Pro" and "Pro Max" models are designed to be the most advanced iPhones in terms of capabilities. The iPhone 17 Pro uses some advanced technology to deliver some of the most advanced features on an iPhone.
Design
The iPhone 17 Pro has a unibody frame that is machined out of solid aluminum. It is made of aluminum to be able to dissipate heat rapidly. This is also accomplished with a vapor chamber that has de-ionized water inside the chamber. This chamber has been laser welded closed. The vapor chamber is designed to quickly move the heat away from the components to allow even mor substained performance.
A19 Pro
The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Max are powered by the A19 Pro. This version of the A19 Pro has a 6-Core CPU, with 2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores. There are also 6 GPU cores, which is more than the iPhone 17 Air’s A19 Pro.
Battery
The battery life of the iPhone 17 Pro is up to 33 hours of video playback. This is six hours more than the iPhone 16 Pro. Similarly, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has up to 39 hours of video playback, up from 33 hours on the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Rear Cameras
The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max have the most advanced cameras available on any iPhone. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max take this to extremes with the 48MP Pro Fusion camera system.
There are three lenses on the iPhone 17 Pro: a 48MP Main camera, a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide, and a 48MP Fusion Telephoto. This is the first time that all of the cameras have had the same number of megapixels across all three cameras.
This new camera design does mean there is a change in terms of optical zoom. There are now five options for optical zoom: 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x, and 8x. The 5x option is no longer around; it was replaced with the 4x, and the 8x option is brand new.
According to Apple, the 4x zoom is equivalent to a 100mm lens. Similarly, the 8x zoom is equivalent to a 200mm lens. With these being optical zoom, these should provide decent-quality pictures, but time will tell on that.
As for digital zoom, it can now be up to 40x, should you have the need for that much zooming while taking photos.
Colors, Pricing, and Availability
The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are available in three colors: Silver, Cosmic Orange, and Deep Blue. The iPhone 17 Pro is available in three storage options: 256GB for $1099, 512GB for $1299, and 1TB for $1499. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is available in four storage options: 256GB for $1199, 512GB for $1399, 1TB for $1599, and the 2TB is $1999.
You can begin pre-ordering the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max on Friday, September 12th at 5am pacific time, and they will be available starting on September 19th.
Closing Thoughts
The new iPhone 17 is a pretty good upgrade over previous models. It comes in five color options and two storage options, 256GB and 512GB. The new A19 should provide faster processing, and the Always-On ProMotion display is a significant upgrade.
The iPhone 17 Air is a brand-new model. It is the thinnest iPhone so far at 5.6mm thick. It has some specific accessories, like the MagSafe battery, bumper case, and clear case with MagSafe.
The iPhone 17 Pro has the most advanced cameras of the iPhones introduced, with up to 8x zoom and new vapor cooling.
Pre-orders for the iPhones all start on Friday, September 12th at 5:00am pacific time and will be available starting Friday, September 19th, 2025.
Today Apple streamed their "Awe Dropping" event, which, as expected, covered a number of products. These products include the AirPods Pro, Apple Watch, and iPhone. This article will cover the first two items, AirPods and Apple Watch. So, let us start with the AirPods Pro 3.
AirPods Pro 3
Apple introduced a new set of AirPods, the AirPods Pro 3. The AirPods Pro 3 take the existing AirPods Pro 2 and enhance them. The AirPods Pro have had noise cancellation, but with the new AirPods Pro 3, they have 2x better noise cancellation. This is made possible with a new set of foam-infused tips, to provide even better sound isolation. There are now five different tips that you can choose from to get an even better fit than before. According to Apple, this was accomplished by "utilizing over 10,000 ear scans with more than 100,000 hours of user research".
The new tips are not the only change; there is a new feature coming to AirPods Pro 3, Live Translation.
Live Translation
With the AirPods 3, you can get live translations. Live Translations can be used in conjunction with an iPhone. When you use this arrangement, what you say on your AirPods will be automatically translated on your iPhone within the Translate app, so the person you are speaking to can read what you have said in their native language. Additionally, you can have your iPhone speak what you have said.
If there are two individuals, both with AirPods Pro 3, they can both use Live Translation to get a translation of what each of you says spoken directly into your ears. "Live Translation on AirPods is available in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish, and will be coming to four more languages by the end of the year: Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified)."
Battery Life
The AirPods Pro 3 have improved battery as well, going from 6 hours on a single charge, to 8 hours when Active Noise Cancellation enabled. AirPods Pro 3 can be used as hearing aids. For those who utilize this feature, the battery life has improved to 10 hours with transparency enabled. This is a good improvement.
Pricing
The AirPods Pro 3 can be pre-ordered today for $249, and will be available beginning Friday, September 19.
Now, let us look at the new Apple Watches, starting with watchOS 26.
watchOS 26
The Apple Watch is Apple’s device for health tracking, fitness, messaging, and quick interactions. Each Apple Watch has its own set of features, but there are some that are common across all of the new Apple Watches: the Apple Watch SE 3, the Apple Watch Series 11, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3. This feature is called "Sleep Score".
Sleep Score
The Apple Watch is capable of utilizing many of its sensors to try and provide you with an overall look into your health. One of the key places is sleep. The new Sleep Score feature will show you a look at your overall score for sleep. There are a number of factors taken into account, including: heart rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen, and respiratory rate.
All of this data is taken into account, and ultimately, an overall score is provided for your sleep. This information is displayed not only on the Apple Watch but also within the Health app on iPhone. Additionally, recommendations on how to improve your score will be made available.
Sleep Score is available with watchOS 26 on all Apple Watch models that support watchOS 26.
Wrist Flick
There may be instances when you have your hands full, such as while bringing in groceries, making a meal, or even carrying a child. During these times, it might be useful to be able to quickly handle a notification or phone call. Now, you can with "wrist flick".
The wrist flick action will allow you to quickly silence a notification or a call. As the name indicates, this is done with a flick of your wrist, forward and backwards. This is available on all of the new Apple Watches introduced today: the Apple Watch SE 3, the Apple Watch Series 11, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3.
Hypertension
One of the focal points of the Apple Watch is when it comes to health. watchOS 26 adds a new notification for some Apple Watch models. That notification is for hypertension, or high blood pressure. According to Apple’s press release:
Hypertension is the leading modifiable risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease, and impacts approximately 1.3 billion adults globally. It is frequently undiagnosed because it often has no symptoms, many people do not see a doctor regularly, and even during a clinical visit, it can be easily missed with a single measurement.
With watchOS 26 on the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, Ultra 2, and Ultra 3, you will now get notifications if high blood pressure is detected. From Apple’s Ultra 3 press release:
If users receive a hypertension notification, it is recommended that they log their blood pressure for seven days using a third-party blood pressure cuff and share the results with their provider at their next visit, which is consistent with the latest American Heart Association guidelines for the diagnosis and management of hypertension.
That concludes the common features across multiple watches. Now, let us look at each of the models announced today, starting with the Apple Watch SE 3.
Apple Watch SE 3
The Apple Watch SE is the entry-level Apple Watch, but despite being entry-level, there are still a lot of features. The Apple Watch SE 3 is the newest entry in the line, and it adds some enhancements. In addition to Sleep Score, mentioned above, the new features include a new display, temperature sensing, new gestures, improved battery life, and 5G with cellular models.
S10 and Battery Life
The Apple Watch SE 3 has the S10, which replaces the S8 in the Apple Watch SE 2. The S10 enables some of the new features that will be outlined below. One of the features of the S10 is Low-Power mode. When you enable Low Power Mode on the Apple Watch SE 3, you can get up to 32 hours of battery life.
If you need to charge your Apple Watch SE 3 quickly, you can do so with the new Fast-charging. Fast charging will get you from 0 to 80% in 45 minutes. And if you charge for 15 minutes, you will get up to another 8 hours of battery life. So, for those times that you cannot fully charge, either of these can be quick ways of getting more battery life.
New Display
The Apple Watch SE 3 gets a new display. It is still an OLED display, like all Apple Watch models, but this one is now an Always On display. This means that the screen can remain on throughout the day. When the display is not active, it can dim and reduce the refresh rate down to 1 hertz, which saves battery life.
Gestures
One of the new features of the Apple Watch SE 3 is that it can now detect your wrist movements. This enables two new gestures: double-tap and wrist flick. When you use the double-tap gesture, which is double-tapping your index finger and thumb, you can perform the default action on whichever screen you are on. This can save you time when your hands are full.
Sensors
The S10 in the Apple Watch SE 3 provides some new sensors. This includes the new temperature sensor. This sensor will detect your wrist temperature while you sleep and provide information for the Vitals app. Additionally, it can also be used to retroactively predict when your ovulation cycle might have started.
Pricing and Availability
The Apple Watch SE 3 is available for pre-order today and starts at $249 for the 40mm model, and is $279 for the 44mm model. There are cellular models, which have 5G, for $50 more. The Apple Watch SE 3 will be available starting on September 19th.
Apple Watch Series 11
The Apple Watch Series 11 is a modest update, with only a couple of new features. These features include the aforementioned wrist flick, 5G cellular, and better battery life. The Apple Watch Series 11 still has the same S10 processor as the Series 10.
The biggest change is the improved battery life. The Series 11 will now have up to 24 hours of battery life on a single charge. This is up from the 18 hours on the Series 10. Should you need to quickly charge your Apple Watch Series 11, this is possible as well. Just like the Series 10, you will get from 0% to 80% in just 30 minutes, but now if you fast charge for just 15 minutes you will get up to 8 hours of battery life. This is an improvement over the Series 10.
Pricing and Availability
The Apple Watch Series 11 is available for pre-order today and starts at $399 for the 42mm model, and is $429 for the 46mm model. There are cellular models, which have 5G, for $50 more. The Apple Watch Series 11 will be available starting on September 19th. Now, let us look at the Apple Watch Ultra 3.
Apple Watch Ultra 3
The Apple Watch Ultra is designed to be the most rugged Apple Watch available. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 makes some improvements over the Apple Watch Ultra 2, including a new display, the S01, Emergency SOS via satellite, 5G, and improved battery life. Let us start with the S01.
S10 and Battery Life
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 was introduced in 2023 with the Apple Watch Series 9. At the time, both watches had the same System in Package, the S9. In 2024, Apple introduced the Black Titanium option for the Apple Watch Ultra 2 but made no other changes. This year, with the Apple Watch Ultra 3, there is a new System in Package, the S10.
The S10 provides a bit more power for the Apple Watch Ultra 3, bringing it inline with the Series 11 and SE 3. The S10 on the Apple Watch Ultra proves some power efficiency, which allows for better battery life. Now you can get up to 42 hours on a single charge. And up to 72 hours in Low Power mode. If you need to fast charge, you can go from 0% to 80% in 45 minutes, and a 15-minute charge can provide up to 12 hours of battery life.
New Display
The Apple Watch Ultra has the largest screen of any Apple Watch thus far, at 49mm. The actual resolution has increased from 410 x 502 pixels to 422 x 514 pixels. This is a small 1.3% increase, but any larger display is good, and the case of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 has not changed in size.
The new display is still an Always-On OLED display, but it is easier to glance at the display from a wider angle. This is achieved by having each pixel increase its light output to make it easier to see.
The wider viewing angles are not the only changes, from the Apple press release:
LTPO3 is also more power efficient, enabling a faster refresh rate when Apple Watch Ultra 3 is in always-on mode, going from once a minute to once a second, so it’s possible to see a ticking seconds hand without raising the wrist. Stopwatch, Timer, and over 20 watch faces are updated with support for this refresh rate. In addition, a new Waypoint watch face can help users navigate with a live compass, easily access satellite communications with a new complication, and quickly turn on Night Mode to help preserve night vision.
5G and Satellite
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 now supports 5G cellular. Along with this, you can also use Satellite connectivity, just like the iPhone. With Satellite connectivity, you can quickly call for emergency services, even when you are outside of cellular range. Additionally, you can send messages to friends and family via cellular.
Pricing and Availability
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is available for pre-order today for $799. All Apple Watch Ultra 3 models include 5G cellular. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 will be available starting on September 19th.
Closing Thoughts
The AirPods Pro 3 is a pretty good upgrade for those who can use the AirPods Pro headphones. The longer battery life and live translation will help a lot of people in a variety of situations.
The new Apple Watch lineup brings a big upgrade to the Apple Watch SE with an Always-On display, wrist flick, sleep score, and fast charging. All of these are major updates for the SE 3, and it still starts at $249.
The Apple Watch Series 11 saw the fewest changes, but you can get up to 8 hours of battery if you fast charge or 15 minutes. You also get Sleep Score and hypertension notifications.
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 got a big upgrade with the new larger screen, with better, wider viewing options. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is still $799.
The AirPods Pro 3, Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Series 11, and Apple Watch Ultra can all be pre-ordered today and will be available starting September 19th.
Today Apple sent out invitations to their September event entitled "Awe Dropping". The "Awe Dropping" event is scheduled for Tuesday, September 9th, 2025 at 10:00am Pacific Time.
Apple’s September event is typically where they announces new iPhones and it is expected that Apple will announce the iPhone 16 line at this event. Beyond this, Apple typically also uses this time to unveil a new Apple Watch, which is again, expected. It is also possible that Apple might announce some new products that work with the iPhone at this event.
Members of the press will be able to attend a screening at the Steve Jobs Theatre at Apple Park. For everyone else you can watch via the Apple TV app, or by going to the Apple Events page and watching it there.
Prior to the event I will have a post about what I suspect Apple might announce, so be on the look out for that.
At the end of 2023 Apple made an announcement that it will be halting sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. The reason for this was due to a patent ruling by the International Trade Commission that indicated that Apple violated the patents of Masimo.
The result of this was that the Blood Oxygen sensor would not be available for any Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Ultra 2 sold in the United States after December 24th, 2023. At the time, only these two items were affected, but it would include any future watches released in the United States, including the Apple Watch Series 10.
Even though the injunction was in place, it did not prevent Apple from including the Blood Oxygen hardware, which Apple continued to do.
Blood Oxygen App Returns
Yesterday, Apple announced that the Blood Oxygen sensor feature would return to the Apple Watch, with a slight change. From the Apple Newsroom post:
Following this update, sensor data from the Blood Oxygen app on Apple Watch will be measured and calculated on the paired iPhone, and results can be viewed in the Respiratory section of the Health app. This update was enabled by a recent U.S. Customs ruling.
On affected models, the new Blood Oxygen app will allow you to start a session, the data will be sent to the iPhone and then processed. The results will be shown in the Health app, under the "Respiratory" section. Affected Apple Watches will be able to take measurements in the background as well. This is particularly needed for tracking Blood Oxygen while sleeping.
In order to r-enable the Blood Oxygen app on the Apple Watch you will need to update your iPhone to iOS 18.6.1, and the Apple Watch to watchOS 11.6.1.
If you have an Apple Watch purchased before the ban, or if you purchased your Apple Watch outside of the United States, the Blood Oxygen app will continue to work as it always has, directly on the Apple Watch.
iOS 26 and watchOS 26
If you are currently on the betas for iOS 26 and/or watchOS 26, you will not have this feature, at least as of this writing. I would suspect this would be added in the next iOS 26 and watchOS 26 betas, but it is possible that it will not be available until the actual release of the 26 operating systems.
Below is the last reading I had, from September 20th, 2024 with my Apple Watch Series 9.
My Thoughts
I find it interesting that the way around the ban is to do the processing on the iPhone. I am not sure if this process can be patentable, but if it can, I would not be surprised if Apple does patent the process.
The other thought that came to mind is that this now inexplicably ties the Apple Watch to a paired iPhone. Furthermore, this also means that there is less of a chance for Apple to allow the Apple Watch to be set up on its own, at least in the United States, because it would mean that there is no way for the Blood Oxygen sensor to work.
It is good to see the Blood Oxygen sensor become usable again in the United States for the Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 models, but it would be better if they could work the same across all devices, but this is better than not having it.
The surgeons behind the game have been busy and have had added some enhancements.
New Features
Season 7 questions have been added. This brings the total number of questions to 4,679.
Added Character Details for each character on the "Duty Roster".
Added actor details for each character on the "Duty Roster".
Tweaks
Changed capitalization of "mess tent" to be consistent and answers.
Changed "R & R" to be consistent across questions and answers.
Changed capitalization of "Officer’s Club" to be consistent across questions and answers.
Changed capitalization of "post-op" to be consistent across questions and answers.
Changed capitalization of "pre-op" to be consistent across questions and answers.
Removed unnecessary spaces in questions and answers.
Corrected misspellings of character names in questions and answers.
Be sure to update the app, and test your knowledge. You can download the app from the App Store. You can also check out the questions, or play the web version, at mashtrivia.app.
If there are any issues, be sure to email support. This is can be done via the "About" screen within the app.
Today Apple has announced that they are introducing a new AppleCare plan, called "AppleCare One". AppleCare One is a way of consolidating all of the AppleCare plans that you might have into a single bill. AppleCare One will cost $19.99 for up to 3 devices. If you need to cover more devices than that, you can do so, for just $5.99 per device per month.
AppleCare One can be used for any Apple product that Apple sells, this includes iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, Apple Vision Pro, and Macs. With AppleCare One, if you add an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, it will also add "Theft and Loss" protection for those devices, which was not previously available for the iPad and Apple Watch.
Limitations
AppleCare One is not limited to just new purchases, but you can also add your existing devices, as long as they are less than 4 years old, or less than a year old for headphones.
You might be wondering if you can add family members devices, according to Apple’s "Questions" section on the AppleCare website:
Question: Can I add my family’s devices to my AppleCare One plan?
Answer: "AppleCare One plans can cover devices that are on the same Apple Account as the subscriber.
So… maybe? It surely looks like you can, but Apple’s question and answer leaves it rather ambiguous.
Doing the Math
For some AppleCare One will make complete sense, particularly if you have an iPhone and an iPad and are paying monthly. For those it may be cheaper overall. For others though, it may not make sense. For me, it MIGHT make sense, but let us look at the details.
I thought I would do the math for my current devices and see whether it would make sense for me to switch to AppleCare One. I pay for AppleCare on a number of items. My current AppleCare subscription list includes:
Device
Current Monthly Cost
AppleCare One
iPhone 16 Pro Max
$11.21
$19.99
MacBook Pro
$7.75
$0.00
13-inch iPad Pro (M4)
$7.04
$0.00
Mac Studio (M1 Max)
$5.00
$5.99
Studio Display 1
$4.17
$5.99
Studio Display 2
$4.17
$5.99
Apple Watch (Series 10)
$3.29
$5.99
HomePod 1 (2nd Gen)
$1.67
$5.99
HomePod 2 (2nd Gen)
$1.67
$5.99
AirPods 4 with ANC
$1.21
$5.99
Apple TV 4K (3rd Gen)
$0.84
$5.99
Total
$48.00
$67.91
I do have AppleCare on a couple of other devices, but these would not be covered by AppleCare One.
As you can see, overall I’m paying $48.00 per month for all of my devices. Now, to clarify, I pre-paid for multiple years on a couple of devices, like the MacBook Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, and iPad Pro, so these are less than the amount that I would pay if I were paying monthly on its own.
Therefore, for me, it does not make sense to switch to AppleCare One. I would end up paying 41.47% more than I am now.
Closing Thoughts
For those who have multiple devices that have AppleCare, it might make sense to get AppleCare One. In particular, if you are one of those that has an Apple Vision Pro, it makes sense to get AppleCare One because you could save quite a bit of money, if you add any device.
You will need to do the math for yourself to see if it makes sense for you to switch to AppleCare One, for me, I’m not going to switch. However, it might make sense at some point in the future if it makes sense.
If you are switching devices on a somewhat regular basis, it could make sense, definitely depending on the devices you have.
There are various types of gamers. There are those who only play mobile games, either on your phone or a tablet. There are those who prefer the widest range of games, so they have a gaming PC. Then there are those, like myself, who prefer to play games on a console. When I was younger, I had a PC, so I could play a variety of games, but as I have gotten older, I have found that I would rather have a dedicated console for playing games. At the moment, I have a a few consoles that I use regularly. These are:
Original Nintendo Switch
Xbox Series X
Playstation 4
I have some older consoles too, like the Xbox 360, Xbox One, Playstation 3, the original Nintendo Wii, and a Wii U, however I do not use these regularly. We can now add the Nintendo Switch 2 to the consoles that I have.
My preferred games are first-person shooters; however, I also play other types of games, like platformers, and I do have a few mobile games that I play regularly. I mostly use my Nintendo Switch to play Mario games; however, I will likely be purchasing Donkey Kong Bonanza once it is available. Even though it is not my primary console, I am not new to Nintendo, not at all. Let me take you through a brief look at my history with Nintendo.
My Nintendo History
I have been playing Nintendo games since the late 1980s, when we got an original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). I remember playing games like Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt. We also had Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. Mappy Land, The Adventures of LoLo, California Games, Track and Field, and Golgo 13, just to name a few. We definitely had more games than that, but those are only a handful of the ones I recall having.
We never had a Super Nintendo, but we did have a Nintendo 64. We did not have that many games. Of course, we had Mario 64, GoldenEye 007, one of the Mario Party games (I do not recall which one), and Paper Mario. I really only played Super Mario 64, which was very innovative at the time.
When Nintendo released the GameCube, it was a radical departure with the games being on CD. Much like the N64, I did not play that many games, except for Super Mario Sunshine. I’m sure we had a few others, but the only other one that I really recall is Mario Party 4.
Now, the Wii was a different story. This is the first Nintendo console that I ended up going out and purchasing. I stood in line at a Toys R Us, in the cold, to purchase one. I purchased only a handful of games, including Super Mario Wii, Mario Kart Wii, Carnival Games, and Wii Fit, just to name the major ones. The Wii was the first Nintendo console that was backward compatible with the previous console. This was due to the Wii having discs, much like the GameCube.
The Wii U was, by all metrics, a flop. Even with that, it did not stop me from buying one. I only played a few games on the system, New Super Mario Bros. U, and Lego City Undercover being the primary games. Lego City Undercover worked really well with the second screen on the Wii U controller.
In 2017, Nintendo did something radically different and released the Nintendo Switch. The original Nintendo Switch was a console that could be used as both a handheld or as a traditional console. While the Nintendo Switch did not have direct backward compatibility with the Wii U, you could play games with the Virtual Console. I have purchased a number of games for the Switch, including Zelda: Breath of the Wild, since that was the only game available at launch. Of course, I have played the other Mario games, like Super Mario 3D All-Stars, Mario Kart 8, Super Mario Odyssey, and Super Mario Wonder.
Nintendo consoles are not my main console; that is the Xbox, but I do enjoy playing the Mario games when they are released. I thought I would pick up a Nintendo Switch 2, not only because of Mario Kart World, but also because of Bonanza, which is a Mario-like platformer but starring Donkey Kong.
Let us look at various aspects of the Switch 2, starting with my pre-order experience.
Pre-Order Experience
I am not new to pre-ordering items. I have pre-ordered many things, including numerous iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads, and even other gaming consoles. Every pre-order has its own quirks, and the Switch 2 is no different. There were some retailers who began allowing pre-orders on April 23rd, or six weeks before the Switch 2 was set to go on sale. As is the case with many pre-orders, it did not go all that well.
I initially tried ordering with Target, and had the Mario Kart bundle in my cart, but it kept failing when I tried to pay. Eventually, it told me they were out of stock. So, I switched over to Best Buy. They put me into a queue, and I waited for a bit, but eventually gave up. I eventually tried Walmart and encountered issues there as well. After some perseverance, I was eventually able to pre-order the non-bundled version of the Switch 2 from Walmart. They indicated it would have a delivery date of June 6th, so one day after launch day.
A couple of days later, Walmart had additional stock, so I cancelled my first pre-order for the non-bundle and attempted to order the bundle. Unfortunately, I could never get that added to my cart, so I frantically tried to re-order the non-bundle version again. After about 15 minutes of trying, I was able to re-order the non-bundle, this time with a delivery date of June 5th.
Nintendo was also allowing pre-orders; however, there were restrictions, specifically to combat scalpers and bots and allow for it . You had to have 12 months of Nintendo Switch Online and have played for at least 50 hours, as well as sharing that gameplay with Nintendo. I was not sure if I would qualify, but I put my request in to pre-order. Nintendo began sending those emails out on May 8th.
One of the limitations for the pre-orders directly from Nintendo is that you had 72 hours to order. If you did not order, your invite would go to someone else. On May 15th at 5:50 p.m., I got an email from Nintendo saying that I could order my Switch 2 bundle. So, I did just that.
I did not cancel my pre-order from Walmart, just in case someone else I knew wanted one. It turned out that nobody did, so I ended up returning it to Walmart a week after launch. Coincidentally, the woman in front of me in the customer service line wanted to buy one, so I returned mine and she immediately bought it, so at least she was able to get one.
Author Note:
It was announced on June 12th that the Switch 2 sold 3.5 million units in the first four days, making it the fastest-selling console to date.
Now, let us look at what is included in the box.
In the Box
What is included in any console depends on the manufacturer. For example, Microsoft’s Xbox One Series X includes the console, a power cable, an HDMI cable, an Xbox controller, and a pair of AA batteries. The Sony PlayStation 5 includes the console, the power cable, a DualSense controller, a USB cable to charge the controller, and an HDMI cable. So, basically, they include the same items. Nintendo includes a bit more.
Nintendo includes quite a bit in the box of the Nintendo Switch 2. The Switch 2 includes the Switch 2 console, a power brick, a USB-C to USB-C cable for the power brick, the Joy-Cons, the Dock for outputting to a TV, and an HDMI cable. These are the same as the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. The Switch 2 also includes Joy-Con straps and a charging cradle for the Joy-Cons. Initially, it might seem that including the straps and charging cradle is not a lot, but in fact, it can be super helpful, and it would cost extra to have a charging cradle with other consoles.
Power Brick
The Power Brick on the Nintendo Switch 2 is different than that of the original Nintendo Switch, in that the power brick is separate from the USB-C cable. This was not the case with the original Nintendo Switch, where the power brick and cable were one piece. This has a couple of advantages. The first being compatibility, in that you can use any USB-C cable and power brick to charge the Nintendo Switch 2. This was the case for the Nintendo Switch as well, but many might have been reluctant to use a non-Nintendo power brick.
The second benefit is that you can buy replacements for both the power brick and USB-C cable quite easily, so should one of them fail, you can simply replace it. The power brick is a 60-watt power brick, so should you need to charge it, you might want to look for something that is at least 60 watts. It is possible to charge with a lower-wattage power brick, but it may take longer to charge, or it may not be able to keep up the charge, if the game you are playing requires a lot of power.
Now, let us move to setting up the Switch 2.
Setup
Setting up any console will take a little bit of time. The Nintendo Switch 2 is no exception. The initial setup steps include:
Country
Agree to User Agreement
Connect to Wi-Fi
Perform Software Update
Set the Timezone
Go through Play Styles A. Use Stand B. Detached Joy-Cons C. Attached
Update the System
Once the system has updated, it will restart the system. The system update only takes a few minutes. Once it restarts, then you can begin the system transfer, so let us look at that. There are usually day-one system updates, which Nintendo announced there would be a day-one patch for the Switch 2.
System Transfer
If you have an existing Nintendo Switch, you may want to move from your original Nintendo Switch to the Nintendo Switch 2. I opted to move my data. The Switch 2 indicated that I needed to perform a system update on the original Switch. Once I did that update, there was a popup on the original Switch asking if I wanted to transfer my system.
For this step, the Switch 2 was a bit confusing. There was a graphic that indicated that I needed to move the Switch 2 and original Switch close to each other. My thought was that it would use Bluetooth to recognize that the systems were closely and would start the transfer. Nope, I had to hit a button on the Switch 2 to actually begin the transfer. Once I did that, there was another popup, this one was about compatible software.
Many of the games that I had were compatible and could be moved over. There were some where their data would not transfer. The list of items that would not transfer included:
Demos
Test apps
Fortnite
I did not care about any of those because I do not need demos and test games on my system. And for Fortnite, I do not play it, I downloaded it for my nieces and nephews to play.
The Switch allows two different types of accounts, one that is linked to a Nintendo Switch Online account, and one that is local only. When transferring from a Nintendo Switch, local accounts will be removed from the original Switch, but the Nintendo Online-linked accounts will remain on the old Switch.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is designed to work in both handheld mode, as well as connected to a screen. This is the same as the original Nintendo Switch, and the Nintendo Switch OLED, but not for the Switch Lite, which is handheld only. Just like with the original Nintendo Switch, the Switch 2 has an LCD screen; however, aspects of it have changed.
The original Switch had a 6.2-inch screen with a resolution of 1280 x 720. The Switch 2 has a larger 7.9-inch screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080, or full 1080p. The Switch 2 also includes a wide color gamut, for even better colors, High Dynamic Range 10 (HDR10) support, and even has a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz. A variable refresh rate means that the screen will refresh at the rate that is best for the current content. As an example, if you play an original game:
TV Mode
The Nintendo Switch 2 adds some enhancements over the original Nintendo Switch, in particular when it comes to when the Switch 2 is in Dock Mode. The original Nintendo Switch was capable of outputting games at 1080p when connected to the Dock, but these were only at 60fps. The Switch 2, on the other hand, can do 3840 x 2160, which is full 4K resolution. When in 4K, the games are limited to 60fps.
However, the Switch 2 is also capable of outputting 120fps, but this is limited to the resolutions of 1920 x 1080, and 2560 x 1440. Of course, this also depends on support from the games themselves.
The Dock also has a few ports on its own. There is a USB-C power port and HDMI port, two USB-A ports, and a wired Ethernet port. The wired Ethernet port is new. The original Nintendo Switch required a separate wired Ethernet adapter.
Improved Graphics
With the increase in resolution, from 1080p to 4K, Nintendo is offering some updates to games to take advantage of the higher resolution. Some of the games that have this improved resolution include:
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Here is a video capture of the opening scene of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Any game may be scaled from 1080p or 1440p to 4K, but only while using the Dock. I attempted to set my Dock to output to 4K, but for some reason it just would not actually change. I tried switching HDMI Cables, switching HDMI ports, undocking the Switch 2, unplugging the TV, and none of it worked. I know my TV can do 4K, because I have 3 other devices that are capable of doing 4K, and two of them were running at 4K, so I knew it was not the TV. The way that I finally ended up getting it to work was to power off the Switch 2 and powering it back on. Once I did this, the system showed 4K.
My TV is not capable of handling 120fps, so for me, 120fps is not a consideration, but it was quite annoying that I could not figure out why it was not working. As is the case with all technology-based things, try turning it off and back on again. Now, let us move to the Joy-Cons.
Joy-Cons
Nintendo is known for having non-standard inputs. The Nintendo 64 had its weird three-handled joystick, the DS Lite had dual screens, the Wii had the Wiimote and Nunchucks, and the Wii U had its Pad. The original Nintendo Switch brought a new input mechanism, the Joy-Cons.
The Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons can be used in a couple of ways, including connected to the Switch, which is good for single-player games. They can also be used individually with many games.
As outlined above, the Switch 2 is physically larger than the original Switch. This also means that the Joy-Cons are also larger. The Joy-Cons on the original Nintendo Switch were about 4 inches tall and 1.25 inches wide. Contrast that with the Switch 2 Joy-Cons, which are 4.5 inches tall and 1 and 9/16 inches wide, including the Joy-Con connector that connects to the Switch 2.
As you might have guessed, the Joy-Cons from the Switch 2 are not compatible with the original Switch, and the original Switch Joy-Cons are not compatible with the Switch 2. This is not only because of the size difference, but also because of the connector. The Joy-Cons 2 have a connector that slots into the Switch 2. The Joy-Cons 2 have some magnets that are what actually hold the Joy-Cons to the Switch 2 console. The magnets are strong and have a very, very satisfying click when they connect.
Mouse Mode
The Nintendo Switch 2 with the Joy-Cons has a new trick, Mouse Mode. Mouse Mode is a new mode where you can turn one of the Joy-Cons 90 degrees and use the Joy-Con like a mouse. You can click on the buttons like you would a computer mouse.
I do not think I will be using this feature that often, but the option is there, should I find a need to use it. Even though I will not be using it that often, that does not mean that others will not. I can see a case where someone may find that using a Joy-Con in Mouse Mode is a better experience for them. Additionally, there may be games where it is the preferred method.
I did test Mouse Mode by navigating the Switch 2, and it does indeed work. There is a bit more control in some instances, and while the instructions indicate that you should use a flat surface, it does work pretty well on irregular surfaces.
The Joy-Cons are not the only controller that you can use; there is also the Pro Controller, so let us look at that next.
Charging Cradle
Like the original Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo Switch 2 includes a charging cradle in the box. The charging cradle can also double as a controller, although it not the same as a full controller. The charging cradle is not super comfortable for me to use. This is no different than the original Nintendo Switch. That one was also not comfortable for me to use as a controller.
I am sure it is usable by many, but it is just not for me. Instead of using the charging cradle, I prefer using the Pro Controller, so let us look at that.
Pro Controller
The Nintendo Pro Controller is very similar to other console controllers. The Pro Controller is designed to be more comfortable than just using the Joy-Cons with the charging cradle, or even using the Joy-Cons connected to the Switch 2 itself. The Pro controller has the same buttons as on the Joy-Cons. This means the buttons are:
A
B
Y
X
Select
Start
Screen Capture
Home
L
R
ZL
ZR
GL
GR
C
These last three buttons are brand new. The C button is for GameChat, a new feature of the Switch 2. The GL and GR buttons are designed to be customized and mapped to any of the other buttons. The GL/GR buttons are located on the back of the controller, right where your index fingers rest. The original Nintendo Switch also had a Pro controller. It did not have the C button, nor the GL and GR Buttons. But it did have the remaining buttons.
The shape of the Pro Controller 2 is definitely different than the original Pro Controller. The grips of the Pro Controller 2 are more contoured and a more natural design. The contouring is to help accommodate the GL and GR buttons.
You do not necessarily need to purchase a Pro Controller 2 if you already own an original Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. That is because the original Pro Controller will work with the Switch 2. It has the same functionality, excluding the ‘C" button and the GL/GR buttons.
It has only been about two weeks since I got my Nintendo Switch 2, so I have not had to charge the Pro Controller yet, but I suspect it will be similar to the original Pro Controller, and I will not have to charge it that often.
Battery Life
If you are like me, you use the Nintendo Switch docked most of the time, so battery life is not usually a problem. However, there may still be times when you want to play in handheld mode. According to Nintendo, the battery life of the Switch 2 is between 2 hours and 6.5 hours, depending on the games you are playing.
I did a couple of tests, and my Nintendo Switch 2 lasted about 2.5 hours while playing Mario Kart World in handheld mode. The second test I did was to play some Nintendo Online, specifically I played Super Mario Bros. 3. I played this for an hour and the battery life dropped from 100% to 85%; so 15% battery loss in an hour. This means that the battery would last approximately 6.5 hours, which is a bit more than Nintendo’s estimate of a maximum of six hours of battery life.
Virtual Game Cards
One aspect of the Nintendo Switch that has only been available since April of 2025, and that is Virtual Game Cards. Virtual Game Cards are similar to those of physical game cards, but entirely digital. You can move virtual games between Nintendo Switch consoles on the same Nintendo account, just like you would with physical game cards.
If you have multiple people within your Nintendo family group, you can even lend games to other family members. Of course, if you have loaded a virtual game card on another system, or leant the game to another family member, you cannot play the game on your own Switch, but that is to be expected.
The idea of this is not new; in fact, Microsoft initially proposed this in 2014 with the Xbox One. However, there was such an uproar from the hard-core gamers that Microsoft decided not to pursue the idea, even though I was one who was super enthusiastic about it. It is good to see that the idea is entirely plausible, even if it is limited to the Nintendo platform.
You can read more about Virtual Game Cards on the Nintendo website.
System Memory and Memory Cards
The Nintendo Switch 2 includes 256GB of memory built-in. For many, this will be plenty of storage, particularly if you only buy digital games, because you can always re-download a game. However, should you need additional storage, this is an option by using a memory card.
You cannot use just any memory card in the Nintendo Switch 2. This is because there are specific requirements in terms of speed for the memory cards. Specifically, you must use microSD Express cards. The Nintendo Switch 2 is capable of supporting up to a 2TB MicroSD Express card. Therefore, if you are a super heavy Nintendo gamer and you want to keep all of your data on your Nintendo Switch 2, you now have that option.
Screenshots and Videos
One of the features of the Nintendo Switch 2, and even the original Nintendo Switch, is the ability to easily save a screenshot. This is done by simply pressing the dedicated capture button. Simply pressing it will capture a screenshot, but holding it down for a few seconds will capture video of the last 30 seconds.
I thought that I would be able to capture video in 4K, but you cannot do this natively on the Nintendo Switch. Pressing the capture button will only capture it at 1080p, even when outputting at 4K to a TV. It may be entirely possible to capture content at 4K if you are using an external cpature card, but it cannot be done natively on the Nintendo Switch 2.
Sharing Media
Capturing screenshots and video is great, but you probably want to share it on your site, YouTube, or even just on social media. The way that you shared media from the original Nintendo Switch was, to put it mildly, convoluted. The original Nintendo Switch required you to do the following steps:
Capture the screenshot or video.
Power off your Switch.
Remove the MicroSD Card from the Switch.
Put the MicroSD Card into an SD Card adapter.
Connect the SD Card adapter to a card reader, or plug it into your computer.
Open up the Finder/Explorer to find the SD Card.
Navigate the file structure to find the files that you want to copy.
Copy the screenshots and videos off of the card to your computer.
Remove the SD Card reader from your computer.
Remove the MicroSD card from the adapter.
Put the MicroSD Card reader back into your Switch.
Power on your Switch.
You would need to do this EVERY time you wanted to share media. I know this made me reluctant to capture and share stuff from the Switch, not because it was hard, just convoluted. The Nintendo Switch 2 makes this process much easier.
The Nintendo Switch 2 also allows you to share screenshots and videos, but now you no longer have to remove your MicroSD Express card to do so. Instead, you can now share from your Nintendo Switch 2 to the Nintendo servers. You can then use the Nintendo Switch app on your phone to save or share them. The steps for sharing from the Nintendo Switch 2 are:
Capture the screenshot or video.
Go to the Album app on the Switch 2.
Click on the "Quick Actions" button.
Select "Upload to Smart Device"
Select the user to use to upload the files for
Select the screenshots and videos you want to share.
Select the "Upload" button.
Open your Nintendo Switch app on your smartphone
Tap on the "Save" or "Share" button, depending on what you want to do.
This is a significantly simpler process than it was with the original Nintendo Switch. You no longer need to power off your device. You can upload files at any time. There are a few restrictions for this. The first restriction is that files will only be stored for 30 days on the Nintendo servers, so you want to save the files before then. The last restriction is that only the 100 latest files are saved. This means that if you save more than 100 files in a 30 day period, only the latest 100 will be saved, older files will be removed, starting with the oldest.
Carrying Case
One of the items that I ordered along with my Nintendo Switch 2 directly from Nintendo was the carrying case. I do not often take the Switch 2 with me when I go places, but on occasion I do, and for those times I like having the carrying case. The official Carrying Case has a harder outer shell. The outer case is made of the same material throughout. The interior of the case is made of a soft material to protect the screen of the Switch 2.
There is a flap on the interior that is used to protect the screen and also allows you to store some game cards. You can store six game cards in dedicated slots. There is also a pocket made of mesh where you can hold other items, like what? I am not sure.
Along the edge of the Carrying Case is a zipper to secure the Switch 2. There are two zippers so you can open and close it quite easily. One nice little touch is that the zippers have a string with a handle, and the handle colors actually match the Joy-Con colors. The blue handle is on the left, and the neon red handle is on the right; this mirrors the arrangement of the Joy-Cons on the Nintendo Switch 2.
The one issue I have is that the mesh pocket does not have any way to secure anything; it is open. I would have liked to have had this be zippered as well, or even have some sort of snap to secure things within the mesh pocket.
Closing Thoughts
Overall, the Switch 2 is a pretty good upgrade over the original Nintendo Switch. The improved graphics go a long way to enhancing gameplay. The screen size has increased from 6.2 to 7.9 inches. This is a gigantic leap and now allows you to choose various resolutions, including: 1920 x 1080 at 120fps, 2560 x 1440 at 120fps, and 3840 x 2160 at 60fps, just to name a few.
The larger screen means that you also have larger Joy-Cons, which can be more comfortable when playing, particularly for larger hands. The Joy-Cons are now magnetically attached to the Nintendo Switch 2, and the sound that they make when attaching to the Switch 2 is quite satisfying.
The Switch 2 is backward compatible with Switch 1 games, so you can play many of the games you already own on the Switch 2. If you have a Nintendo Pro Controller, you can also use this, so you do not need to purchase the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, just to play games with the Pro Controller.
As of this writing, the Nintendo Switch 2 has sold more than 3.5 million units in its first four days, and is the fastest selling console of all time. For comparison, the original Nintendo Switch sold 2.74 million units in its first month. So, if you are looking for a Nintendo Switch 2, it might be difficult to find one at the moment, but it can be a good upgrade, particularly if you still have an original Nintendo Switch.
Apple's World Wide Developer Conference 2025 Keynote was streamed today. As expected, Apple introduced a slew of new features, including enhancements for all of Apple's platforms. Let us start with numbering.
Numbering
Apple has a number of operating systems, six to be exact. This includes iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS. Each of these has been introduced at different times, so their numbering has varied. Last year, iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS were all version 18. visionOS was 2, macOS was 15, and watchOS was 11. This could make it more difficult to be able to figure out which of an operating system correlates to another. This year, this all changes. The various numbers are hard enough for developers to keep track of which versions are compatible, let alone most users.
Now, all of Apple's operating systems, and some apps, including Xcode, will all have the same number, 26. As an example, iOS 26, or macOS 26. This means that it should become significantly easier to figure out if your devices are on the same versions. You might be thinking "it is 2025, so why is it 26“? Well, it is similar to car models, where the car released this year is for next year's model number. Similarly, Apple's operating systems are released in the fall, and most users do not get updates until November, so this approach makes sense.
The numbering is not the only big change; there is also an all-new design, so let us look at that.
Liquid Glass
The last major redesign for Apple's platforms was with iOS 7, back in 2013. When Apple did the design for iOS 7, they focused just on one operating system, and then brought it to macOS in 2014 with Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite. After 12 years, there is a new design, called Liquid Glass. Liquid Glass is a redesign of more than just iOS. This time, it spans across all of Apple's operating systems. This will give them all a common look, but will still allow each operating system to be its own.
Liquid Glass is designed to have controls be transparent and show the background. Much like actual glass, the background colors will shine through and the background will refract through the elements to shine through. This applies to all operating systems and controls across them.
The new material, Liquid Glass, is translucent and behaves like glass in the real world. Its color is informed by surrounding content and intelligently adapts between light and dark environments. Born out of a close collaboration between the design and engineering teams, Liquid Glass uses real-time rendering and dynamically reacts to movement with specular highlights. This creates a lively experience that makes using iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV even more delightful.
Beyond the look, the new design is also designed to get out of the way when necessary. As an example, for the tab bar, it is now floating. Within the Music app, the "Now Playing" items float towards the bottom, and are expanded, like they are below.
Yet, when you scroll the tab bar will collapse, as to get out of the way, so you can see more of your content, like the image below shows.
Having a consistent look across all of Apple's operating systems should be a good thing. There are some that will not like the new look of Liquid Glass at first glance, but Apple is likely to tweak things, but it is not guaranteed. We will have to see what Apple ultimately chooses to do. Let us now move to another item, Communications.
Communications
One of the most used features of Apple's operating systems is to communicate with others. This may be through email, FaceTime, the Phone, and of course Messages. Messages will be getting a few enhancements, like background images for chats, and even polls, so everyone can vote on something. Additionally, typing indicators, and Apple Pay will be integrated into group chats. Messages will now also automatically filter out "Unknown Senders" to their own group, they will not show in your main list. Instead, they will be go to a separate list. You can set them as "known senders" and they will appear in main list. These changes will come to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS.
The Phone app is also getting some new features. This includes Hold Assist, Call Screening, and Live Translations. With Hold Assist, your call can stay connected, but you can continue to use your phone. You will be notified when an agent comes onto the line. Call Screening will allow you to screen phone calls before picking them up. Live Translations will allow you to automatically have speech by others translated into your language and vice versa. The Phone app also gets a redesign with Favorites, recents, and voicemails all appearing in a single view. You can also pin your favorites to the top so you can easily place a call with a single tap.
Furthermore, the Phone app now comes to iPad and the Mac, and they also get the same features. This means you can make phone calls directly from you other devices, albeit through your iPhone.
Let us look at some iPad specific changes.
iPadOS
When the iPad was first released, it was effectively a larger version of an iPhone without the phone. This worked okay for a while, but the iPad is its own device. In 2019 Apple separated iOS into two versions, iOS for the iPhone, and iPadOS, for the iPad. This was done because the iPad is its own device and has its own unique interactions and control mechanisms. Even with the changes, like TrackPad support, the Magic Keyboard, things like Stage Manager, many have noticed that the iPad hardware has far outpaced the iPad software. iPadOS 26 makes some major changes.
iPadOS 26 brings a new multitasking approach to the iPad, with windowing. You can now have multiple windows, minimize, resize, and tile any windows. You can tap on an icon and bring back up the windows for that app. One of the most important aspects to this feature is how iPadOS will remember your previous window size and positions. This works not just on an iPad, but also with external displays.
Windows will have familiar features, like the "Stoplights", to close, minimize, and maximize buttons. Along with this, you have a resize anchor in the lower right corner of all windows. Having windows, and being able to arrange them as needed is great. However, there may be instances when you would prefer to be able to quickly access features. This is now possible with the Menu Bar.
Much like on macOS, iPadOS apps can now display a Menu Bar. This can make apps feel even more like those on macOS and it will allow you to quickly access features, without needing to hunt for them.
Games
Apple is adding a new app to iOS, iPadOS, and macOS called Games. The Games app will allow you to view all of your current games in one spot. You can also check out Apple Arcade games and invite friends to play. Along with this, you can also challenge your friends on leaderboards in specific games to try and beat their score. Additionally, Apple is adding support for the Playstation VR2 Sense controller for the Vision Pro.
Apple Intelligence
Apple is continuing to expand Apple Intelligence with some new features like integration with ChatGPT so you can create additional styles in Image Playground, like making an image look like an oil painting. Visual Intelligence is expanding beyond what you see on your camera to include anything that you are viewing within an app. So, now you can take a screenshot and take an action, like finding where to buy a lamp, or even adding a calendar entry for an event you want to go to.
WatchOS will help you with your workouts by giving you updates on your current workout, but also including historical workouts. As an example, if you are on a run and your last mile was your best one, your Apple Watch may say "You just ran your best mile this week at a pace of 8 minutes and 36 seconds", or something along those lines.
The big thing, for developers anyway, is that they can now use Apple's own on-device models. This means that they do not need to include a device model within their app. This means that they can reduce the size of their app downloads and use on-device processing, including extended background processing.
Compatibility
It is not uncommon for new versions of Apple's operating systems to drop support for older devices. Here are the supported devices.
iPhone
iPhone SE 2nd Generation and later
iPhone 11 and later
iPad
iPad mini (5th generation and later)
iPad (8th generation and later)
iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later)
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later)
Apple Watch
Apple Watch SE (2nd generation)
Apple Watch Series 6 and later
Apple Watch Ultra
Macs
Mac Pro (2019 and later)
Mac Studio (2022 and later)
Mac mini (2020 and later)
iMac (2020 and later)
16-inch MacBook Pro (2019 and later)
MacBook Pro (13‑inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
MacBook Air with Apple Silicon (2020 and later)
MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
Closing Thoughts
What I have provided above is just a brief overview of the list of changes. There are a bunch more changes, like Apple Intelligence gaining new functions and features, or Spotlight on macOS getting new features like natural language search, or the Files getting more features like assigning colors to a folder, or even adding an emoji.
You can check out all of the features on Apple's OS Previews page.
